Dr. Kunio M. Sayanagi is a planetary scientist who joined NASA’s Langley Research Center in 2022. His responsibilities include conducting and leading planetary science investigations, supporting strategic planning to advance Langley’s planetary science and technology capabilities, and leading instrument and technology development for future space missions.
Dr. Sayanagi’s expertise focuses on the atmospheres of giant planets. From 2008 to 2017, he served as an Affiliate Member of the Imaging Science Team for NASA’s Cassini Mission to Saturn, where his work involved analyzing the planet’s atmospheric circulation, jet streams, and storm systems.
Prior to joining NASA Langley, Dr. Sayanagi was an Associate Professor in the Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences Department at Hampton University. During his tenure, he founded the Planetary Atmospheres Research Group, taught undergraduate and graduate courses in Atmospheric Dynamics and Planetary Science, and supervised the research projects of undergraduate/graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.
Within the broader scientific community, Dr. Sayanagi regularly serves on domestic and international committees to help plan strategic activities for future planetary science missions. His service includes participating in the Giant Planets Panel of the 2010 Planetary Science Decadal Survey and serving on the Steering Committee of NASA’s Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG). He supports community strategic planning by drawing on his background in fundamental physics and his experience managing and leading planetary science projects.
Dr. Sayanagi earned his B.S. in Liberal Arts with concentrations in Physics, Applied Mathematics, and Computer Programming from Juniata College in Pennsylvania. He subsequently earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Physics with a Doctoral Minor in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Arizona.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8729-0992
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